Absolution
by chocolateninja
Summary: A certain black sheep drifts back to the fold. That's right. I'm going to see how many flames I get from Terra-bashers. :P
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: For Whom The Bell Tolls 

Straw-blonde, with a butterfly hair clip.

She was not particularly tall, but she was not particularly short. She wore a black shirt, and she tended to laugh at the most mundane of things. Seemed a perfectly normal, if slightly weird, teenage female.

Well, except for the fact that she'd been encased in a statue for six goddamned months. And that she'd almost destroyed the world once. And that she'd worn a nifty robotic suit while doing so.

But again. Pretty normal.

She shivered slightly. Her clothing was appropriate for summer, and this was winter. _Christ,_ she thought, shaking her head. _How much did I MISS? _Being encased in lava doesn't tend to give people a good sense of time.

It had felt like an eternity. Slowly but surely, the stone was softened by the weather. Every day, she had concentrated her power, poured her entire will into trying to crack the stone. And somehow, no doubt through her miraculous nature, she had been able to stay alive.

She had to laugh. Miraculous. Her life had been anything BUT miraculous. Wherever she went, a trail of bodies and death tolls followed in her wake. That devastating earthquake in San Francisco. That destructive tornado in Kansas. She'd always been a drifter, and, for a long while, she'd thought she was happy being one.

And she had been, if it hadn't have been for a chance meeting.

The Teen Titans. That's right, the Teen goddamned Titans, the ones who'd ruined her life, and the ones who had redeemed her. It didn't really make sense to her, really. Had she really needed to be "saved", like some princess waiting for a knight in shining armor? She resented Robin for trying. Him and that damn condescending tone. He wanted to fucking strangle him.

She had nothing to say to them. Nothing. She hoped that they'd all died violent, gruesome deaths while she'd been away, though it was a very unlikely prospect.

_But…_ Her sharp, vindictive eyes softened at the thought of one person. _Beast Boy._

He had been the only one who'd ever listened, truly listened, to her. He was funny. He had empathy. And yet he was always put upon by the other Titans…

In truth, he was the only reason why she'd even bothered lingering in this frozen, uninviting city, in the dead of winter, and the only reason why she was heading towards that horrible, T-shaped tower. To ask for forgiveness. And advice.

_Damn him, _she thought ruefully, not relishing the prospect of ringing the doorbell. _Why'd he have to go and give a damn about me?_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: For Whom the Doorbell Tolls

The doorbell rang. Well, not so much rang, as played the Teen Titans theme song.

Robin always thought it lent an air of authenticity to the place. After all, if Batman could have a Bat-mobile, why couldn't he have a Teen Titans-theme song? Unfortunately, the other Titans didn't seem to share this view. Beast Boy even thought it was ridiculous.

Either way, he figured it was best to get the door. Maybe it was someone giving them a job. Or Aqualad and Bumblebee coming by with a fruitcake wishing them a Merry Christmas. All he knew was that, as long as it had nothing to do with Slade, he could handle it.

He turned the handle and swung open the door.

A split-second later, he yelled "TEEN TITANS, GO!"

Terra could easily dispatch Robin. She used her power to lift up a rock and hit Robin in the head with it.

"I'm not here to fight," she said, as calmly as she could manage. "I just need to see Beast Boy."

Robin rubbed his head and got into a defensive stance. "How do we know that?" he said, the eyeslits of his mask narrowing. "You died six months ago, remember? Hell, how do we even know you're the REAL Terra?"

The other Teen Titans flew down the stairs. "I am sorry we are late, Robin," Starfire said, apologetically. "Beast Boy had gotten his head stuck in a jar of… pickles, and-"

"God damn it, when I say "TEEN TITANS, GO", I don't mean 'Teen Titans, lounge around and maybe go downstairs if you feel like it!'" Robin was fuming.

Beast Boy was the first to notice Terra standing in the doorway.

"TERRA!" He ran up to her. "Terra, you're alive!"

Robin held out an arm between Terra and Beast Boy. "Not so fast," he hissed. "We can't trust her. It might be a trap."

"Robin, I mean no offense, but you believe everything is a trap," Starfire remarked meekly. "You are like my cousin Gllorgsnath, only less prone to problems of digestion."

"He's right not to trust her," Raven said coldly. "She betrayed us once… she could betray us again. If she expects to be able to join the Teen Titans again after what she did…"

"Especially after we trusted her like that," Cyborg added.

"I don't want to join your fucking group again," Terra said, in a controlled voice. "You can all know that I don't give a shit whether half of you live or die."

There was an awkward silence, as the Teen Titans looked at one another quizzically. Beast Boy looked hurt.

"Then why ARE you here?" Robin finally managed.


End file.
